The present invention relates to communication systems, methods and computer program products and, more particularly, to apparatus, methods and program products for set-up of communications.
Recent years have seen the development of a wide variety of forms for on-demand delivery of news, music, movies, and other content. Such content is now available over a plethora of channels, including those offered by satellite and cable television and radio services and those provided over the World Wide Web.
Various such electronic content may be delivered over a wireless communication link to portable devices, which are often battery powered. A variety of different approaches for delivering such electronic content to a wireless device are also known. For example, satellite radio services may provide a variety of radio entertainment channels broadcast from a satellite transmitter. Users may purchase a battery or line powered receiver device that may be tuned by a user to select one of the available entertainment channels. A satellite radio receiver typically may be a receiver only device that may be tuned by a user to a selected channel without the need for communications to the satellite to establish a communication link for the selected channel to the receiver.
It is also known to communicate electronic content over a two-way communications link based on a variety of different wireless communication protocols. For example, a variety of wide area cellular networks are in use based on protocols such as code division multiple access (CDMA), the Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) and the like. Local area wireless networks are known using, for example, the Institute for Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard for wireless communication. These two-way communications links may provide access to content using, for example, the Wireless Access Protocol (WAP), similar to the range of electronic content available from computer devices over the World Wide Web. Such two-way communication link protocols typically require an exchange of communications between a network access point and the portable wireless device to set up and/or break down the communication link. Similarly, communications from the portable device to the access point may also be required during transmission of the electronic content to maintain the link. For example, confirmation of receipt of packets may be expected from the portable device.
However, for a variety of devices that may desire to receive electronic content over such two-way communication links, power consumption may be an important factor, as such devices may be operating on battery power. As these devices are often small, there may be only limited space available for a battery, thus leading to smaller batteries and even greater concern with power consumption. In addition, additional hardware and costs associated therewith may be required to support two-way communications, as contrasted with one-way receive-only communications. Even where a user only desires to receive electronic content, the protocols associated with set-up, maintenance and breakdown of a two-way communication link typically require at least some communications from the receiving device to a transmitter providing the electronic content. Such additional hardware, such as a transmitter, a power amplifier, and/or digital signal processing circuitry or other processing logic associated with implementing a two-way communication link, may increase not only the power consumption and cost, but also the size of such devices.